During the early morning hours, when that blinding orange sun is launching itself from behind the mountains into the sky, Susan and I have enjoyed cool walks into the town of La Alberca, twisting around the cobblestone streets to make a loop, and returning to the villa on the paved road. There is a path that begins behind the main hotel but I´ve found route to be a little irritating to my sinuses with the pollen and dust. When we did venture that way one time with the whole Pueblo Ingles group, we were accompanied by a quiet golden retriever. I think that he was listening to us, intrigued by the strange English discussions that we were having.
Along the paved road to town we´ve encountered more wildlife than I would have expected. With a rooster, a cat, a dog, and a donkey, it´s become the Spanish version of Die Bremen Stadtmusikanten! Off in the distance, far beyond the woods, a rooster crowed at the morning sunshine. It´s so distant that I really had to listen intentionally to make sure that I wasn´t imagining things. Behind a rugged stone wall and barbed wire fence there was a friendly palamino. Beneath the shade of olive trees a herd of young sheep bleated and shook the bells that were around their necks. Meanwhile, a black guard dog barked ferociously at us, thankfully from behind a strong fence. Two pink pigs snorted away as flies dove and buzzed all around. A donkey brayed his back-and-forth high and low notes. Various birds, completely invisible in the foliage chirped, called, and sang their sweet songs. A white cat with a black face meowed at me and jumped down from the stone wall and disappeared into the undergrowth.
During the afternoon hours, we strolled around the cobbled streets of La Alberca, admiring the beautiful historical stucco and stonework houses. Quaint villagers walked slowly to and from the shops, seemingly content with natural sounds all around them. Swallows circled overhead and chirped at us from their nests in the rafters. A tabby disappeared behind the construction site. A couple of dogs walked around the streets, eyeing us curiously. One of them barked at us timidly and then ducked into the house for protection. The other one was a hilarious German Shepherd puppy that ran full tilt at us, yipping, and then veered off to the side! Eventually, he tired out and sat on the doorstep of a house, panting heavily.
The iconic black pig of La Alberca wandered through the town sniffling and snuffling audibly at the tourists and townsfolk, expecting handouts. He rarely came away disappointed becuase the villagers were happy to feed him. The people of La Alberca had notably erected a statue of a pig just outside of the cathedral and the legend was that if a married couple touched the statue together, they would soon be expecting a baby! Every street and alley of the town had butcher shops featuring the incredibly fresh Iberian ham.
During the evening hours, the continuous cacophonous croaking could be heard from the frogs in the marshland near the main gate of the villa. A lizard scrambled over the rocks near our home for the week, hopefully eating some of the annoying houseflies and fruitflies. The wildlife in and around La Alberca certainly is abundant and we have been fortunate to be able to witness some of in our first week in Spain. While the sights and experiences will remain with me for many years to come, I also have to say that the sounds of La Alberca will be another valuable memento! These natural sounds have created a peculiar chorus and it´s that unique music I will continue to hear well into the future!
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